Crosslinked cellulosic fibers are advantageously incorporated into a variety of fibrous products to enhance product bulk and resilience. Absorbent articles, such as diapers, are typically formed from fibrous composites that include, in addition to crosslinked cellulosic fibers, absorbent fibers such as wood pulp fibers. When incorporated into absorbent articles, such fibrous composites can provide a product that offers the advantages of high liquid acquisition rate and high liquid wicking capacity imparted by the crosslinked fibers and the absorbent fibers, respectively. However, fibrous composites that include relatively high percentages of crosslinked fibers suffer from low sheet strength.
The relatively low strength of sheets that include crosslinked fibers is due to the loss of hydrogen bonding sites that accompanies cellulose crosslinking. As a result of their chemical modification, crosslinked cellulosic fibers lack hydroxyl groups that are necessary for forming hydrogen bonds between fibers. The inability of crosslinked fibers to form interfiber bonds generally precludes their formation into sheets or webs having any significant structural integrity. Thus, unlike other cellulosic fibrous materials that can be formed into sheets or webs and then transported as rolled goods to a customer for further processing or use, crosslinked fibers are generally transported as bales.
Furthermore, in contrast to other cellulosic fibrous products that can be readily produced, transported, and used in processes as rolled goods, the handling and use of crosslinked cellulosic fibrous bales can be difficult and costly. For example, bale opening equipment is expensive. In addition, fibrous bale handling often results in the creation of dust, a potential health hazard.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a crosslinked cellulosic fibrous product that can be readily formed, transported, and used in subsequent processes. Alternatively, there is a need for a readily formed and transported cellulosic fibrous product that can be converted to a useful crosslinked cellulosic fibrous product on arrival at the processing site. Such a fibrous product is ideally converted to a crosslinked cellulosic product without the need for expensive equipment and/or additional time-consuming processing. The present invention seeks to fulfill these needs and provides further related advantages.